


Discombobulation

by Arkanna



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-11-04 01:22:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10979430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arkanna/pseuds/Arkanna
Summary: A showdown leads Chase to a sudden realization.





	1. Confussion in Reality

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Xiaolin Showdown or any of its characters. Only 'tsune is mine.

Anyone observing the battle for the latest Shen Gong Wu might have been hard pressed to point out which side was supposedly good and which side was evil. Jack and a handful of his remaining bots were attempting to retreat. Most of them were severely damaged and on the defensive, trying to keep Jack safe as he made hasty repairs to his heli-bot.

Jack, himself, wasn't in much better condition. Blood continuously trickled into his eyes from a very deep gash in his forehead and his left arm was all but useless. He was reasonably certain it was broken. His right ankle would not bear his weight and the one time he had chanced it, the bones had made a sickening crunching sound before a flash of white hot pain brought him to his knees and sent him spinning into darkness for a few seconds. The monks knew that Jack wasn't much of a fighter and yet they had launched their most devastating attacks against him and his small army of easily destroyed Jack-bots.

He gave a triumphant yell when the rotor mast and blades suddenly extended and he quickly shrugged the heli-bot onto his shoulders. His flight was wobbly and had problems sustaining altitude above the trees. The Jack-bots remained behind, deflecting as many of the monks' attacks as they could, trying to give him enough time to escape.

Jack was almost in the clear. A few more seconds and he would be safe to limp home slowly and take stock of his latest _most humiliating defeat._ Or at least he would have, if Raimundo had not unleashed one final vicious attack.

Jack panicked when he heard the monk yell “Wudai Star Wind!” The heli-bot was too damaged to gain altitude quickly and a column of air from the attack broke the right mast and sent Jack plunging through the trees. It was a long fall through the dense branches and he was unconscious before he finally hit the ground.

The monks gave a jubilant shout when the attack slammed into Jack and sent him spiraling out of control. The Jack-bots were reduced to smoking heaps and the Shen Gong Wu was theirs. They congratulated themselves while Dojo took them safely home, their happy chatter echoed through the forest. Not a single one gave a backwards glance or wondered what had happened to Jack.

 

Golden eyes peered from the shadows. A moment later, Chase stepped into the dappled light and glared at the monks, now far in the distance. He could still hear their laughter and growled. There was no honor in their victory. Jack had already conceded defeat and left the field of battle. It was a cowardly act, attacking when his back was turned.

Chase had not intervened through mutual agreement. Both wished to keep Jack's apprenticeship a secret for as long as possible—especially from the monks. Neither had anticipated such a despicable act.

Jack lay on his side surrounded by the tattered remains of his jacket. The heli-bot was dented and broken beyond repair, hanging on by one badly frayed strap. With a simple flick, Chase severed the strap and tossed the piece of scrap aside. Crouching, he slowly rolled Jack onto his back.

His face was badly lacerated and bleeding. Dark bruises had already begun to appear on his pale skin. His eyes opened slowly, painfully and stared, not recognizing the warlord for a moment. Then he cracked a faint smile, “Chase . . .” he whispered before his eyes slid closed and a trickle of blood fell from the corner of his mouth.

The look in Jack's eyes, the trickle of blood sent Chase reeling backwards. He sat hard in the dirt and pressed his palms against his temples trying to control himself. He could feel it, a memory bubbling just below the surface, one he knew he had purposefully blocked centuries ago—something he did not wish to ever dwell upon. But 'tsune had been right. She was his memory now, as she had promised, and all the things Chase had worked to purposefully forget came flooding back.

 

_Li Zhi . . ._

 

A small caravan traveled along the dusty road well into dark, an inadvisable action in and of itself. They were running late and were expected in the nearby province within the day so they had pushed on.

The thin sliver of moon offered little light and the dark veil of night provided the perfect cover for an ambush. The bandits descended without warning, easily outnumbering the guards and putting them all to the sword. None were spared.

Miles away, Chase strode into one of the finely appointed rooms within the Xiao-Hong Bao estate. Without warning, something wrenched deep inside him and he felt as if a part of himself was suddenly ripped away—his bond to Li Zhi was gone.

Immortal warrior, fierce dragon steeped in Heylin magic—none of it was sufficient. He arrived too late. Chase found Li Zhi lying in a pool of blood, those extraordinary emerald eyes that had sparkled with life only a few hours earlier, stared dully into the infinite heavens. A small trickle of crimson marring a pale cheek.

He roared in agony, his transformation instant and complete. 'tsune had been right, Chase was capable of loving another, had let Li Zhi into his heart only to have it savagely torn asunder. He stormed off into the night, dark magic swirling around him with deadly promise. Screams suddenly rent the still night air and when the last died away, a very human Chase knelt amongst the carnage and swore he would NEVER let another get that close to him again, locking away the memory of all that Li Zhi had been forever—or so he thought.

 

_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_

 

Chase slowly pulled his hands away, glaring after the monks once again. _Damn 'tsune and her meddling!_ He growled silently. It had been centuries since he had allowed himself to feel more than simple fondness for anyone. The tolerance he had shown Spicer had held the boy at bay when he was younger but now how did Jack fit into his view of the world? Unnerved by his own conflicted emotions, Chase's mind filled with both confusion and thoughts of vengeance. A glance back at Jack gave him pause.

HIS heart still beat, HIS chest still rose, HIS ruby eyes yet closed only in slumber. With a snarl, he leapt to his feet and gathered Jack closely. This time, he was not too late. His experience was much greater, his knowledge of magic much deeper.

Beyond apprentice, Chase was unsure exactly what more Jack might become, but over the long centuries of his life, he had learned to listen to the voice of his inner dragon. Like Chase, his dragon tended to hoard all things that were unique and precious and as the warlord held Jack a little more securely, his dragon twisted about angrily at the damage done to the young man. Its desire to rend and tear and devour nearly overwhelming, but that could wait. Jack needed their attention now and so the dragon had to content itself with the tight hold Chase had on the youth as they teleported back to his citadel . . . a fiercely growled MINE! echoing through his mind.

 


	2. Confussion in Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack discovers he is not alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Xiaolin Showdown or any of its characters. Only 'tsune is mine.

With only one rotor, there was no way to stabilize his flight and Jack plunged into the dense forest, silently cursing the monks. There was nothing he could do to stop his descent and the last thing Jack remembered was seeing a large limb an instant before it smashed into his face. There was a moment when he thought he saw Chase and smiled up at the warlord, then everything went black.

Jack fell into the strangest dreams. Everything would start out pleasant enough but slowly devolve into nightmares. Always the monks, hounding him, chasing him, beating him no matter how far he ran or how much he begged for mercy. They were always there mangling his Jack-bots, trashing his house, destroying his creations without care for his pleas. His tears meant nothing to them and no one ever came to his aid.

Though it was only dreams, he felt as if every blow struck and his body ached in pain and misery. Jack felt sick and wondered vaguely if he was dying. He was not lucid and did not realize that his mind was only being haunted by phantoms. The dreams felt real enough and the horror weighed heavily upon his lonely soul.

 

The moment Chase materialized in his citadel, he knew that Jack's condition was serious. His breathing was slow and ragged, his heart beat but stuttered now and then. Blood flowed freely from his wounds and though not apparent, he had several broken bones. An instant later Chase appeared in his own room and lay Jack gently on the soft silken blankets of his own bed. He did not care that the blood was staining them crimson, his only thoughts were of saving Jack.

Chase hissed in horror once he had Jack stripped of his clothes. There was not an inch of pale skin that was not covered in ugly bruises, scrapes and scratches. A long jagged cut slashed up his left thigh and a deep gash crossed his back from shoulder to hip. Jack's hands and face had fared the worst.

Though his left arm had been broken by the monks, Jack had tried to grab at branches to stop his fall. His gloves were ripped to shreds and his hands badly abraded with barely any skin left on them at all. There were several deep lacerations on his arms that refused to stop bleeding.

His face was cut and scratched, a great bruise blossomed from forehead to chin and though his nose was not broken, blood flowed from it freely. Both of his eyes had swelled shut and his upper lip was split and bleeding.

With great trepidation, Chase sent a questing tendril of magic into Jack's body. After a moment, he sighed with relief and thanked whatever gods might be listening that, miraculously, Jack had not suffered internal injuries. His ribs were cracked and two of the fingers on his right hand were broken as well as his right ankle. Chase growled suddenly, knowing the monks were responsible for that. He sent a silent command to his warriors before beginning the long and difficult task of healing Jack's wounds.

 

In his dreams, Jack screamed. The monks had him cornered but instead of sullying their own hands, they sent Mala Mala Jong to attack him. He tried to flee, he tried to escape but there was nowhere for him to go. He fought against his attacker, arms flailing, feet kicking but all to no avail. The giant demon wrapped its arms about him and squeezed. Jack could feel his bones breaking and he struggled against his fate. His voice cracked and hoarse from screams that went unanswered. For a moment he rose towards consciousness only to plummet back into ever deepening sleep.

 

It had taken several long hours for Chase and his warriors to clean and bandage Jack's wounds. Chase used his strongest magic to close the deepest injuries and stop the bleeding that seemed to reject even his best efforts. Jack had lost a lot of blood and if it were possible, he was even paler—more a tired shade of grey.

Magic always had a price and healing Jack was drawing greatly from his own energy, leaving Chase exhausted. Once his warriors had taken their leave, he removed his bloodied armor and lay on the bed next to Jack with no thought in his mind beyond a simple desire to rest. But even in repose he was painfully aware of Jack, his life temporarily bound to the boy whose heart refused to beat in a strong steady rhythm.

Over the next two days, Chase stood watch over Jack, changing some of his dressings and healing what he could. His anger at the monks grew greater with each passing day. Jack moaned and cried out in his sleep as if in great pain and terror. Chase could do nothing but sit and bear witness to the evil the monks had inflicted upon someone much weaker than they.

For a moment, Chase thought Jack was about to awaken but instead he began to flail about, reopening some wounds and causing new injuries as his arm struck the headboard and his leg smashed into the chair Chase had been sitting in. He laid a deeper sleep on the boy, but he only seemed to calm once Chase lay upon the bed, holding his arms still.

His heartbeat was even more erratic and Chase could feel the pain in his own chest. He did not understand why Jack seemed to reject his magic—it should not be possible. Giving in to his exhaustion once more, Chase gently lay his head against Jack's chest and let his heart's strange staccato beat lull him into a light sleep even as he still held tight to Jack's trembling arms.

And then it happened, Chase woke with a start, a terrible pain radiating through his body. His chest was on fire and he suddenly realized that Jack's heart no longer beat. Before Chase could form a single coherent thought, his dragon shook free its bindings. A mighty anguished roar broke from Chase as he transformed. The bed trembled beneath the dragon's weight, his claws rending the coverings as he curled protectively around Jack's still form and tried to will the boy back to life once more.

 

Jack was surrounded by darkness. There was no one and nothing anywhere. No matter how loud he screamed, no matter how hard he cried there was no answer. No one came for him and he realized no one cared. His existence had no purpose. What point life without reason? He could feel himself slowly fading, drifting into the void, sure that he was meant to be eternally alone.

“What are you doing here, little one?” a familiar voice suddenly broke into the silence.

Jack turned, but he still could see nothing and wondered if he hadn't imagined it, but then he felt a touch and slowly a shape emerged from the darkness—a pale vision in white.

“ 'tsune?” he whispered staring at her then suddenly panicked, “am I dead?!?”

Her laughter chimed quietly through the shadows, “No, at least not yet. You are only sleeping Jack. These are but dreams.”

“Dreams?”

“Dreams,” she agreed. “But you must awaken if only for a moment.”

Jack started to say something then looked away. “Why? What's the point? No one cares,” he remarked sullenly.

'tsune sighed and turned Jack's face up so she could see his eyes. They were filled with tears and sorrow and pain.

“There is at least one that cares. Can you not sense it? Can you not feel their overwhelming desire to see you awaken . . . to live?”

Jack blinked, “Live?”

“Yes, if you remain here much longer you will cease to exist. You so believe yourself alone that you are willing yourself into oblivion.”

“I . . . I don't understand,” he said quietly turning away from her gaze once more.

“It is not for me to explain, Jack. Only know that there is at least one person in all the world who would be devastated if you did not return,” she replied softly.

“Who?” he asked suddenly. He did feel as if someone were holding him tight and crying for him yet he had no idea how that was possible—if this were truly a dream.

“That is something YOU must discover for yourself. And that may only be accomplished if you leave this place and awaken.”

Jack regarded her a moment. “There really is . . . someone?” he asked a bit uncertainly.

Her eyes danced merrily now, “Yes, there really is.”

He sighed after a moment, “Alright, how do I wake up?” For some reason, Jack was certain he would regret asking.

She smiled, a great, toothy, Cheshire cat grin, and motioned him forward. Jack leaned in close, noticing that she had fangs.

“ **WAKE UP!!!** ”

 

Chase was furious. He wanted to go immediately and destroy the monks, obliterate their temple, leave nothing but a great smoking crater in its place—but his dragon did not. It did not want to leave Jack, it did not want to leave the most precious thing that had slipped from its grasp and Chase found he agreed. It had only been a few seconds but it felt like a lifetime. Chase was lost, his mind seemed frozen and he didn't know what to do. He just seemed to drift in a numb fuzzy haze.

Suddenly Jack's entire body tensed and he seemed to levitate from the bed in fright. His eyes flew open and he gasped for breath. “GAH!” he exclaimed in terror, his heart pounding in his ears. _Bed, right. Room? Don't know, not mine. Dragon, wait! Drag . . ._ sleep reclaimed him before he could finish his thoughts. A deep restful sleep no longer plagued by nightmares.

Startled, Chase jerked away from Jack, but only for a moment. Mindful of his claws, he curled more tightly around the boy and lay his head against Jack's chest. His heart beat strong and steady once more and the dragon purred, a deep rumbling note filled with surprise and amazement, content to remain as he was, determined that he would not release him—never let him be harmed in such a way again.

Chase did not understand what had happened to Jack but he noticed that his wounds were healing rapidly, almost as if the magic he had poured into the boy was only now affecting him. There would be time to think on this later and with a yawn he allowed himself to finally fall into deep sleep.

 

When Jack next awoke it was to the familiar sight of his own room. His right hand was bandaged and he was pretty sure his right ankle was in a cast but he couldn't remember what had happened. He remembered going after a Shen Gong Wu but after that things were vague. He recalled bits and pieces of random nightmares and perhaps a different room but whether that was part of a dream he did not know. As he moved to rub a hand through his hair, he realized he was grasping a small piece of red silk.

Before he could think further, the door slowly creaked open. Chase stood and gaped for a moment, not expecting Jack to be awake, then regained his composure and walked to the bed.

“I see you're finally awake, Spicer,” Chase growled, crossing his arms and glaring down at him.

“Yeah,” Jack agreed, his voice rough from disuse, closing his hand over the scrap of cloth, “but what . . .” he stopped, staring up at the warlord, his ruby eyes wide with surprise, “What happened to you!? You look like hell!” Jack exclaimed.

Chase dropped his head into his hand with a sigh, massaging his temples as if in irritation, but it was merely a ruse meant to hide his relieved smile.

 


End file.
